Ariel Gutierrez, a Dollar General store employee in Ohio, has shared haunting details of her interactions with 16 children who were later discovered living in a faeces-covered room in Hamden. The children, aged from 18 months to 18 years, were found during a separate investigation by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
The Unforgettable Smell
Gutierrez told local news outlet WSYX ABC 6 that the smell of the children was so potent it lingered in the store long after they left. “The smell will never leave my mind. It was so potent, like they could have left the store five minutes ago and the store would still smell,” she said. She expressed regret for not acting sooner: “I’m sorry, I should have said something sooner. I’m praying and I know they’re in better conditions now.”
Children's Physical Condition
Gutierrez described the children as appearing in poor health: “Ghost white, didn’t have no weight on their body and they had their hair over their face, like to block out the outside world to not see them.” The family would visit the store late at night, just before closing, to buy sugar, water, and vegetable oil.
Investigation and Arrests
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the children looked “like almost feral animals,” adding, “It was terrible. You could not even imagine animals being in that condition, let alone children.” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain remarked, “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children, just a disgusting scene.”
Four people—Gary Siders Snr, Christina Siders, Gary Siders Jnr, and Elizabeth Siders—have been arrested. Each is held on a $300,000 cash bond and faces 16 second-degree felony charges. Prosecutor William Archer stated, “Our children deserve better from their parents, guardians, and custodians. No child should endure these kinds of conditions. My office will do everything in our power to make sure these children get the love and care they deserve. My office will prosecute these persons to the fullest extent of the law.”
